Cages of Gold
by mallerina
Summary: An upcoming wedding, unexpected encounters and chunks of wedding cake. Drarry.


"Why the fuck are you not upset?!" Potter asked, half jumping, half falling out of the bed. Draco leaned back against his pillow.

"Because I woke up three hours ago and I'm already over it."

"You woke up three hours ago? Why the hell didn't you wake me up?"

"Because, unlike you, I still have some manners, Potter, and you're sort of my guest. Would you like some breakfast, or maybe take a shower?"

"No, I don't want breakfast!" Harry screamed at him while struggling to get into his pants. His face was flushed and angry at the same time.

"Alright. Just wanted to be a good host." Draco couldn't help but watch Potter as he got dressed. Flashes of last night kept popping into his head. Maybe Potter had been too drunk to really remember most of it, but Draco had been perfectly sober. Surprised, but sober. Shocked, but sober.

"I don't know how this could happen, how could this...how did we end up…?" Potter stopped dead in his tracks. "What exactly did we…?"

"Do you really want to know all the details? Well, we hooked up at the loo of the Leaky Cauldron, where I then sucked you off, and then we went back to my place and we -"

"Alright, alright, stop it, I get the picture," Harry picked up his shirt and slowly put it on. Something seemed to occur to him. He avoided Draco's gaze. "Did anyone see us?"

Draco tried to read Potter's face. There seemed to be so much shame. How could anything like last night happen, and now this? "No one saw us together as far as I can remember."

Harry's shoulders relaxed just a bit. He put on his jumper and started searching for his shoes.

He sat down on a small chair next to the bed to put them on. Harry paused for a moment and looked up at Draco, meeting his gaze briefly. "You won't tell anyone about this, will you?"

Draco felt worse by the minute. He stretched out the moment before answering. "Well, only my friends at the Prophet and everyone I know, of course."

Harry jumped up, one shoe still in his hand, and jumped at Draco. "That's not funny, I'm going to get married in three weeks! Please, my life might be a joke to you, but it is not for me, so just -"

"Back off, Potter, why should I tell anyone? Don't be paranoid." Draco pushed him away and got up to bring some distance between them. Then he started to get dressed, too. "As far as I'm concerned, the last time we met was at the ministry when I shook your hand to thank you for your testimony at my and my mother's trial."

Harry relaxed at that and sat back down to put on his other shoe, then picked up his wand from under the bed.

He stood. "Alright." And with that, he apparated and was gone. Draco sat back down on his bed and stared at the place where Harry had vanished.

* * *

"What the hell are you doing at my wedding?" Harry shoved Draco back against the wall in the long corridor, almost knocking over a waiter who hurried past them with a tray full of empty plates.

Harry apologized and waited until the man was out of earshot, then directed his focus back to Draco who was straightening his waistcoat.

"Much to my own dismay, I'm working here," he said without meeting Harry's shocked gaze. "Not all of us have the perfect life of a war hero. Some of us are happy to find any job that pays the rent - and doesn't make you want to kill yourself."

Harry backed off at those words. "But...this is...you can't…"

Draco gestured elaborately to his bow tie and apron. "I'm sorry, I didn't intend to ruin your big day." A few more people passed by, and Draco tried to put on a neutral expression when really, all he wanted to do was crying. He knew this had been a bad idea. His supervisor had insisted that they needed all their employees for an event like this, even hiring additional help. And it paid quite well, too. Something Draco couldn't ignore these days.

Harry's expression changed all at once. "I didn't mean… You didn't ruin my day," he said, a sudden softness in his gaze.

"Anything else I can help you with?" Draco said, trying to keep his voice straight. Harry didn't answer.

"Excuse me," Draco pressed out and almost ran for the kitchen.

* * *

Malfoy slowly climbed the broad, marble staircase to the first floor. His steps were muted by the thick red carpet. He tried to count the chandeliers all above and around him to distract himself from his task. The bottle of expensive French wine and the crystal glasses on his tray felt heavier than they should.

At the top, he turned right and then right again, until he reached the door with the number 146. He stared at it. Voices seemed to come from the room, but he couldn't understand what was being said. This was bad. This was more embarrassment than he could take for one day. Suddenly, the voices came closer and the door opened. Draco quickly backed off to hide behind a giant potted plant. Just in time.

Weasley and Granger exited the room, exchanging a worried look.

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Granger said and put a hand on Weasley's shoulder. "Probably just nervous, and who wouldn't be? So many people watching your every step?"

"Still, it's odd… I've never seen him like this. Maybe I should stay," Weasley was about to reach for the door again when Granger stopped him.

"Give him some space, Ron. I'm sure it'll be alright. It's perfectly normal to get cold feet."

"Do you have...cold feet?" Weasley suddenly asked. He looked at Granger very intently.

"It's different with us," she said with a small smile. "Isn't it? No, I don't. I don't think I ever would."

Draco averted his gaze as they started kissing. Only when he heard their footsteps trailing off, he turned back to face the door. When they were out of sight, he positioned himself again in front of number 146, and, trying not to think too much about it, knocked two times.

"Come in."

Potter was sitting in a comfy armchair at one of the big windows. He absentmindedly turned his head, then startled when he saw Draco.

"You."

"I was sent up to bring you some wine," Draco said, trying to keep his voice neutral and professional, and put down the tray on a nearby table. "Or would you like anything else?"

Harry watched him, as he gracefully poured a glass of wine. Draco looked up at Potter again, the question still on his face.

"Yeah, that's fine," Harry said after a while. "Have some, too," he added after a moment of thought.

Draco set down the bottle and carried the glass over to where Harry was seated. Harry took it from his tray. "Have some," Harry said again. He turned back towards the window, taking a big gulp from his glass.

"Of course, you don't have to, if you don't have the time," Harry added. "It's just actually nice to be around someone who doesn't care about what I'm doing or how I'm feeling."

"That's what you think, then?" But Draco walked over to the bottle and poured himself half a glass of wine, anyway.

Harry didn't reply but looked back out of the window, his mind seemingly lost within the shapeless clouds above the grounds of the hotel complex.

"I never wanted a big wedding like this," he finally said. "All those people I don't know. Even Rita Skeeter is here to write about it."

Draco walked back to join Harry in front of the big window. He considered for a moment to take the seat next to Harry's, but then just stood beside it. He took a sip from his glass. Bloody hell, that was some expensive wine.

"My life is not some kind of show, you know. Other than you might believe, I don't give a shit about what everyone else thinks, I'd rather be left alone for once." Somehow, Harry managed to empty the rest of his wine all in one go and held it out for Draco to fill it up again.

Draco gave him a look. "Maybe save the rest for later. You don't want to get drunk before the ceremony even starts, right?"

Instead of an answer, Harry jumped out of his chair to get the bottle himself. He took it over to the window and poured both of them some more. Draco wasn't sure what to make of it.

Harry remained standing. "To cages of gold." They clinked glasses.

Then Potter did his best to empty his second glass as well.

They stood in silence for a while, until Draco felt the urge to say something, anything.

"I don't think I quite understand. Why did you invite all these people then? How many are here today, 150, 200?"

"This is the first big gathering after the war that has nothing to do with the war itself. People apparently have been looking forward to this event since I got engaged, and I simply cannot bereave them of the experience of being united in their joy."

Draco let that sink in. He wondered where that was coming from. It sounded well rehearsed. The ministry? The order, maybe?

"The noise just never stops," Harry finally emptied his second glass and then put it away.

Draco was lost for words. He looked at the almost empty bottle of wine at the window sill. There was still enough for maybe one more glass left, so he should probably get it out of Potter's reach.

"I better get back to the kitchen," he said, checking his watch. "You have about 20 minutes before the ceremony starts, so I guess you might want to be alone now."

Draco picked up the bottle. Harry reached out for it to hold him back.

"Don't go," he said, and suddenly, he was very close, too close.

"I need to know…" His words trailed off. And then, Harry's lips were on Draco's.

From far away, Draco was aware that the bottle of wine had fallen to the floor, but all he could care about were those lips. Those soft lips, and the shy tongue exploring his mouth, as if kissing someone for the first time. Draco let it happen.

And then it was over. Harry's eyes were still locked on Draco's.

"This is what it should feel like," Harry whispered, his voice breaking.

Then, there was a knock at the door, and both Harry and Draco jumped apart.

The door opened and Ron entered the room. He stopped dead in is tracks when he saw Draco.

Unsure of what else to do, Draco bent down to pick up the bottle of wine and quickly clean up the red stains on the carpet with his wand.

"The best of luck for you and Ginny," he said to Harry, and then, without so much as looking at Ron, he left the room.

* * *

'The Golden Boy in a Golden Cage.' _That's what the headline of today's issue should read._

Draco stared at the neatly folded newspaper on his table. It was still unopened. He was not sure whether he was ready for all the merry pictures and smiling faces. Or whether he wanted to find out that actually, Harry was perfectly happy with his now-wife, and it was all just last-minute jitters.

Even though Draco now would have to ask one of his friends for money, _again_ , he still didn't regret having left the event after the kiss. He didn't have it in him to watch the ceremony, serve slices of the biggest wedding cake he'd ever seen and pretend that nothing had happened.

Fuck everyone.

He went to have a shower.

A knock at the door made him jump while he was still in the bathroom, drying his hair. He walked to the door, only a towel around his hips. Maybe Pansy had gotten his letter and was coming over to shout at him for quitting his job. Again.

He was surprised to see Harry in the doorframe.

"You should be on your Honeymoon," was all that Draco could say.

They were sitting awkwardly in Draco's kitchen, and he poured them both some tea. Harry kept staring at the unopened newspaper.

"I thought you'd already know," he said and looked up at Draco, who was now wearing a long, midnight blue dressing gown.

"Know what?"

Harry reached for the newspaper and unfolded it. Frowning, he looked at the front page for a long while, then handed it over to Draco.

'Golden Boy escaped from his Golden Cage.'

"Close enough," Draco said without thinking, more to himself than Harry.

There were several pictures of Ginny Weasley, throwing chunks of wedding cake at a very defensive Harry. She was shouting at him, tears running down her distorted face. It was far from pretty.

"Seems like I missed all the fun," Draco said. Why the hell did he keep on saying his thoughts out loud?

"It was actually quite frightening. Not that I can blame her. She deserves better." Harry's voice was shaky.

Draco put the newspaper away. "So what now?" His pulse was quickening.

"First of all, I wanted to apologize. I behaved like an asshole yesterday. I should have treated you with more respect."

Draco gulped.

"And also…I wanted to apologize for the other day. I was...very selfish and I didn't even think about your feelings. I guess I was just scared...what it might mean." Harry hung his head. There was a long silence.

Draco cleared his throat. "Did you figure it out? What it means?"

Harry braced himself and looked up at him, and never had anyone looked at Draco like this before. The intensity in Harry's eyes was mesmerizing.

Slowly, Harry reached out and took Draco's hand into his own, his gaze never leaving Draco's eyes.

"I was hoping you could help me with that."


End file.
